IRIS is the International Renal Interest Society IRIS was created to advance the  scientific understanding of kidney disease in small animals. It was first organized at the 8th Annual Congress of the European Society of Veterinary Internal Medicine in Vienna, Austria, in 1998, with the support of Novartis Animal Health, which provides funding and organizational assistance.
 
IRIS is led by a board of 16 independent veterinarians with particular expertise in nephrology, from ten different countries
The mission of IRIS is to help veterinary practitioners better diagnose, understand and treat renal disease in cats and dogs. In order to achieve this mission, the group investigates ways to accurately diagnose early signs of chronic renal disease and explores novel therapies for these diseases.
 
One of the organization’s primary objectives is to establish an internationally recognized set of guidelines on the diagnosis and assessment of progression of renal disease in small animals (IRIS Staging of CKD), along with treatment recommendations.
 
As there is still much to learn in the field of veterinary nephrology, the scientists of IRIS are dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of renal disease.